Faded Photograph
by silvergreene
Summary: A terrifying memory that struggles to be remembered, and a terrifying fate that struggles to awaken. A forgotten legend is rising, but there's only one hero to stop it. If he can save White first, at least. NxWhite for the most part
1. Chapter 1: Of Snow

Edit: Sorry if you got an email saying I updated... I changed the chapter and accidentally pressed the "add chapter" button instead of the change chapter button.

I love NxWhite shipping. XD It's one of my favorites, and I think it's because it's so versatile and yet so defined. Both characters have enough that they're very solid characters, but you can do so much with them because so little of them is described. And the entire setup of B/W is made so that there's so much to ship even if none of it is stated outright. It's so subtle, but so real. So, anyways, enough of my rant.

Not really your average N/White fanfic... yeah. I came up with this while I was thinking about Ponyo and how I didn't like the ending because it made Sosuke wayyy too mature. The quote was epic - something like "I like all the Ponyos" - but they way it was acted made it so bland I wanted it to have more childish innocence. No offense if you like Ponyo, btw. I liked it - just not that part, it was a bit disappointing. Anyways, the fanfic was originally gonna be totally about their childhood, but it changed. I like it better this way.

So, without further ado, enjoy!

PS: Sorry for typos, I type most of these up on my iPod cuz it's more portable.

PPS: The italics are not flashbacks, just for clarification. They're simply the past, being told parallel to the present.

* * *

><p><em>A small, fragile-looking boy walked slowly along the path. Two elegant young women flanked him, their expressions gentle but somber. The boy's eyes were equally downcast, and his entire form seemed lifeless.<em>

_"This will be your home for a while, N" Anthea said, attempting to be cheerful. "It's called Nuvema Town. Your mother was born here. There's a lovely beach and... everything..."_

_"Mom is gone..." N said, his voice dead._

_"I know it's hard for you and your father, but... Try to keep your chin up. You both have the same dream, don't you? Look, we're here! There are some kids your age in this town, I think."_

_As if on cue, a small, brown-haired girl shrieked and ran giggling out of a doorway. "No fair, Black! You didn't count all the way to twenty!"_

_"I'm your older brother, I can do whatever I want." A boy poked his head out the door and stuck his tongue out at her._

_The girl threw a rock at him, and he ducked. "Hey! That's dangerous!" As he turned, he noticed N standing dumbfounded in the middle of the road. "Ooh! A new recruit! Here to be my apprentice?" He grinned cockily and puffed out his chest._

_"No! He's going to be on my side!" White threw her Pokeball plushie at Black before running towards N and pulling on his arm. "Black is a big, bad meanie, so you should help me fight him," she told the puzzled boy._

_"Stupid violent girl," Black muttered, rubbing his head._

_"Sissy cat," White taunted. "It's just a plushie."_

_"Umm..." N interrupted and tried to pull his arm away tentatively, but White only held on tighter with her small fingers._

_"You can't join his side!" She protested. "If I show you my secret base, will you stay?"_

_"I... I guess..."_

_Excitedly, she pulled him with her as she ran through the grass, stopping at a strange bush. They just barely managed to squeeze underneath, crawling through until they reached a grove of trees. In one particularly large tree, there was a ladder made of vines, and White jumped up nimbly, scurrying into the treehouse above._

_N ducked through the entrance, finding a surprisingly large space filled with dolls, rugs, tables, and miscellaneous items. White had grabbed a small camera and was giggling._

_"We should take a photo! For your first time into the secret base! That way, we'll remember it foreeever."_

* * *

><p>"Mom... Whose picture is this?" White picked up a dusty picture frame, carefully brushing away a bit of dirt from the faded photo inside.<p>

"What? That's you, isn't it? From when you were nine, I think... seven years ago." Her mom looked up from her cooking and squinted at the barely visible picture. "It's rather faded, but I'm sure that's you."

"No, I mean the other person..." She tried to brush some more dust off, but she was afraid of damaging the photo. "A taller person... He's sort of skinny-looking. I can't make out his face or hair, though."

Her mom thought for a few moments. "I think it was that boy who came to Nuvema Town to stay for a few months. His mother was raised here or something, so he was visiting. You two were quite close... Some things happened, too. You really don't remember?"

"Not really..." White brushed her fingers softly against the old frame once more and sighed, then put the picture on her desk and left.

"Off on more adventures, dear?"

"Yeah..." She ran her fingers through her long hair once, then sighed and walked out the door.

After a short flight on Zekrom, she landed in a grassy meadow, then called him back and walked into Lacunosa Town, where she had heard reports of trouble from some sort of ice Pokemon.

The air seemed strangely chilly for some reason, and the town was silent as a grave.

Carefully, she opened the door of one particularly run-down house, looking around for signs of life. She jumped as a shadow in one corner moved, and she realized that it was actually an old lady.

The withered woman gazed at her sharply. "A young face... I know what you're here for, and I'm telling you to leave."

"What?" White looked at her in puzzlement.

"The trouble in this town... You heard about it and you want an adventure. I'm telling you to leave. We've dealt with it for eternity and we will keep at it for eternity."

"But surely you'd appreciate some help," White argued. "Besides, what's wrong with adventures?"

The woman narrowed her eyes. "You outsiders never understand. The myths, the legends have been forgotten. Only the new blood survives in stories, and only the old blood remembers the old tales. The Giant Chasm swallows all that go near!"

"Don't worry," White assured her. "I have Zekrom. I'm sure I can take it."

The old lady's eyes widened at the news and she inhaled sharply. "You musn't! The Forgotten One will devour you if you enter with the legend of darkness alone!"

White shrugged, not understanding the lady's riddles. "Like I said, I've handled this sort of stuff before. The Giant Chasm, right? Thanks... I guess." She waved and exited hastily, while in the darkness, the old woman hissed in frustration.

"Fools! The legends of old will not be tamed so easily..."

* * *

><p><em>"Your mommy is gone?" The nine-year-old gasped, and her small hands flew to her mouth. "But... where?"<em>

_"Up there." N gestured vaguely at the sky. "Father says we'll never see her again." He sniffed and rubbed his eyes. "He said that now we have to make our dreams come true for sure."_

_"Oh..." The little girl fell silent. "What's your daddy like?"_

_N thought for a moment. "I don't see him much. He's always busy with work. He wants to keep Pokemon from being hurt, and he's really nice to Pokemon. He brings me friends to play with. I like him, even if I don't see him a lot. But..." He hesitated._

_"But what?" The brown-haired girl prompted curiously._

_"Well... Ever since Mom... left... He's been sort of strange. Sometimes he laughs weirdly and he brings me hurt Pokemon now... And now he always says that we have to make everyone obey us if we want to save our friends... And once he h-hit me."_

_"Oh..." White sat awkwardly for several moments, the patted the boy's green hair comfortingly. "I'm sure he'll be back to normal. He's your daddy, after all."_

_The boy smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Father is always awesome. He always keeps his promises."_

_"I keep my promises, too," The girl pouted indignantly._

_"Oh, really?" N laughed for the first time in weeks, and he pinched her nose fondly. "Promise we'll be best friends forever, then."_

_"Of course! We're the Anti-Evil Organization! Protecting innocent kids from evil big brothers everywhere!" White giggled and held out her pinky. "Promise?"_

_N smiled and linked pinkies with her. "Promise."_

_All of a sudden, White jumped up. "You should come with us! We're going to Icirrus next week! It'll be like a mountain adventure!"_

_"Umm... I..." The boy hesitated. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea..."_

_"You definitely should," the little brunette insisted stubbornly._

* * *

><p>"Sir!" A Plasma grunt knocked on N's door in panic.<p>

N rubbed his eyes sleepily and glared at the door as if it would pierce the wood. "Who is it?"

"I'm from Team Plasma! I have urgent news!"

Reluctantly, N dressed and opened the door. "What could possibly be so important that you would come all the way to Kanto in the middle of the night? Besides, I thought Plasma became a nonprofit Pokemon welfare volunteer group..."

"It's not about that... Something terrible happened three nights ago! I rushed here as soon as I heard the news!"

N frowned. "What is it, then?"

The grunt hesitated. "The Unova Champion, White, disappeared at the Giant Chasm five days ago..."

"White? Is she okay? What-" He stopped and furrowed his eyebrows. "You said the news happened three nights ago, didn't you? What... what else happened? She's not... she can't be..."

* * *

><p><em>"Wheeee!" The little brown-haired girl giggled gleefully as she tumbled down a snow-covered hill. She landed at the bottom with a thud, spraying snow on the twelve-year-old boy.<em>

_"White!" he complained, but he laughed nonetheless._

_She stuck her tongue out at him and waddled back up the hill, looking for all the world like a little stuffed doll with all the layers of clothing she had. "Mommy, N and I are going on an adventure!" She called._

_Her mom waved back cheerfully. "Remember to come back well before dark! N, take care of her, okay? Make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble. If you can, anyways."_

_"I will," the boy promised. He waved back and began running in White's direction. After a few moments, he caught up, though she was already far ahead._

_"Whoaaaa," the two of them breathed. They had reached the valley, where the vast expanse of snow stretched forever. The entire place was full of white, and the snowy wind obscured anything beyond a few feet._

_"I bet there are lots of ice Pokemon here," White exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands._

_"Yeah, I'd like to see a Vanillite," N agreed. "If I ever meet one, we'll be friends._

_"Ooh! Look! What's that?" White squinted at a dark spot in the distance. "Is it a Pokemon?"_

_N looked over at the shadow. "I think so... It seems to be moving."_

_"Let's go check it out," she suggested, and began running on her short legs._

_With his longer stride, N caught up easily and pulled her back. "Careful, it might get spooked and attack. You should approach slowly."_

_"Huh," White pouted, but obeyed nonetheless. They walked forward cautiously, and the shadow soon became a distinguishable silhouette._

_"A Cryogonal, I think," N remarked. "They can be rather defensive but normally won't attack."_

_"You know so much about Pokemon," White giggled. "And you can even talk to them."_

_"Yeah," N agreed proudly. "Anyways, let's go see it."_

_Before they had even taken a few steps, though, the older boy stopped. He frowned and paused for a seconds, as if straining to hear something._

_"What's it saying?" White asked curiously._

_"Hang on... I can't quite make it out... It's a bit strange, though." He continued to listen, and White obediently clamped her mouth shut._

_Within a few minutes, her patience had already worn thin, though, and she asked, "Have you figured it out yet?"_

_His expression became worried. "No, but I think it's somehow odd... I wonder..." He squinted at the figure, and then suddenly his eyes widened in horror. "White, run, run!"_

_Stunned, the little girl stood frozen for several seconds, and N quickly grabbed her small hand and ran, stumbling through the thick snow. Alerted by the sudden movement, the Cryogonal turned around and began gliding towards them with a predatory grace._

_"What's going on?" White panted as she ran._

_"Something's ordering that Cryogonal around," N yelled back over the wind. "Not a trainer-It's wild. Something big and powerful."_

_"But why are we running?"_

_"I think it's dangerous," N called back._

_Behind them, the Cryogonal's harsh cry melted into the wind and sound of their footsteps and frantic breathing. They listened as the Pokemon began picking up speed, and their awkward run became even more desperate, though White could barely keep up on her short legs._

_"Maybe it's trying to tell us something," She panted, exhausted. "Let's stop and see." With that, she slipped out of N's grasp._

_"No!" N cried. Frantically, he turned around and tried to pull the little girl away, but she refused to run, and he was too slow to outrun the gliding ice Pokemon._

_"Why are you doing this?" he asked desperately as the Cryogonal swooped down on them._

_The Pokemon knocked into White, knocking her away from him, and swiftly picked her up and began to fly away. Terrified, the nine-year-old hung on to the oversized snowflake in fear of falling off._

_"N! Help!" She sobbed over the falling snow._

_"Why?"_

_The Pokemon paused for a second and looked back. _It is as the Great One demands. All of us are bound to him, for his power is the mightiest... It is the Original Power. _Then, the Pokemon turned and flew off into the distance, invisible through the heavy veil of snow._

_N fell to his knees in disbelief for several moments before shaking his head slowly and getting up. He looked around and began following in the direction that the Cryogonal had flown, hoping that he would eventually find some clue as to where they were headed. _The Great One..._ He frowned. Who were they talking about?_

_After walking for half an hour, though it seemed like days, he finally reached a cave. His feet ached abominably, but he was too scared to sit down, fearing that something awful might happen if he did. He saw a Woobat flitting around, and he called out to it._

_"Have you seen a Cryogonal carrying a nine-year-old girl somewhere?"_

_The Woobat stopped and flew to him. _No, I don't think so.

_"Then... Do you know who this 'Great One' is?"_

_The Pokemon gave a start and almost fell. _Why do you know that name?

_"He seems to have caused White to be kidnapped... I need to know why, and how to get get back."_

_The little bat Pokemon's fluttering became more rapid, and it said nervously, _I don't think that's a good idea. The Great One is powerful... Very powerful. He holds the Original Power, and he commands all ice Pokemon. He was asleep for a long, long time, but now he's waking... Me, now, I just try to stay away from all those ice Pokemon so I won't get blasted or anything.

_Frustrated, N grit his teeth and continued trudging along through the labyrinth of caves. Eventually, he reached the city, knowing the the Cryogonal would most likely avoid it. Shivering, he decided to go through it anyways since it was the fastest way, though it was noisy and crowded._

_His vision started blurring as flashing lights and screaming billboards blared at him. Red and green and blue became one meaningless stream of color that flew by at the edge of his vision, and the chatter of people and Pokemon alike began to fade into a drone. He only paid attention to one direction-straight ahead._

_The massive hulk of Dragonspiral Tower loomed over him, and he found himself irresistibly drawn to it. Tiredly, he opened the door, wincing as his muscles protested against the heavy stone. Litwicks all over glanced at him curiously but paid him no heed otherwise as he made his way up despite his fatigue._

Small boy... You have the blood of the dragon tamers, you who hear the hearts and wishes of Pokemon. What is it you desire?

_Blinking, N looked up to find a large Hydreigon, the largest he had ever seen: the king of the tower, most likely._

_"Nothing, really... I just need to find my friend. Have you seen her? She's pretty small, brown hair... She was kidnapped by a Cryogonal..."_

_The Hydreigon snorted in surprise and roared. A symphony of dragons, agitated by either his words or the great dragon's roar, began to stomp and thrash._

Little one, you desire much indeed. The dragons pay homage to the Master of Ice, the Great One of Old who has just awakened from the depths of slumber. He is not at his full strength, but to oppose him is still something that precious few would dare, most of them fools. If you wish to take back what he has captured, you must be willing to risk your life, indeed.

_"I don't care! I want White back!"_

_The Hydreigon regarded him and shook his head. _There is one way, I suppose. If you find the children of Fire and Thunder, it is possible that you may defeat the Great One, but the chances of taming or even finding either, let alone both, are slim indeed. But that will take much time.

_"Isn't there a faster way?" N asked desperately._

_The dragon sighed. _If you truly wish to go now, I will take you, young tamer of dragons. But be warned-it may not go as you wish.

_N nodded, and the Hydreigon lowered his neck to allow the small boy to climb on. Then, with a mighty roar and a flap of its great wings, it began to ascend slowly but powerfully into the gray sky. N clung on tightly for dear life as the landscape became a blur of green and blue and brown, and he kept his eyes squeezed shut until they were firmly on the ground. He almost fell as he found solid ground, and the dragon rumbled in what may have been laughter._

Go. I will wait until I can no longer hear your voice.

_The green-haired boy nodded and scurried into the cave. It was dark, and he had to squint to see anything, but as he proceeded, he heard a rustling and a familiar voice singing gently. Excitedly, he ran forward, almost tripping in his haste._

_"White!"_

* * *

><p>Professor Fennel sighed and pushed away the dream machine. "I'm sorry, N. We can't find anything...<p>

She patted her white lab coat nervously and adjusted her glasses before replacing the dream machine and moving her stool back to its corner. White's lifeless body was on the crisp linens of the soft bed usually reserved for use of the dream machine, and a restless green-haired boy sat near her on the other stool in the room. The silence in the air was filled by the steady pitter-patter of the rain outside, and the dimly lit room felt unreal.

"It may be that the machine is not working properly on humans, or it may be that White just isn't dreaming. That isn't so unusual, since she's in a very deep coma."

N put his head on his knees sighed as well. "If only I hadn't left... Where did you find her unconscious?"

Fennel thought for a moment. "I think some villagers found her a few days ago at the mouth of the Great Chasm... They were muttering something about the 'Forgotten Legend' and some 'Master of Ice.''"

N's head shot up. "What did you say? A 'Master of Ice'? Are you sure?"

"Well, I wasn't listening very closely, but I think so..." Fennel answered, bewildered.

"The children of Fire and Thunder..." N muttered. "I have both, don't I? It'll be fine." He shivered and put his head back on his knees, listening to the calming beat of rain on the glass windows.

He jumped slightly at a knock on the wooden door and watched as Fennel hurried downstairs. There was a clatter from as she knocked something down, and he heard her swear vehemently in her characteristic soft voice. Then there was the creak of the door.

_Thump._ Fennel probably dropped something.

"N... I think you should come..."

Curious, N got up and walked downstairs, not sure of what to expect. "Is something wrong?" he asked uncertainly as he rounded the corner and reached the bottom step. His eyes widened as he saw the person at the door, and the words were knocked out of him.

"White...?"

A little girl of no more than nine, with dripping brown hair and wide blue eyes that seemed somehow blank and empty, her tiny hands clutching a faded photo in a rusted bronze frame.

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed that, and please review! XD I like to know what's good and what's bad so I can improve. Thanks for reading!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: Of Regret

People who were confused end of last chapter... it's okay. XD No one knows what the bleep is going on here either.

Sometimes I think I don't know the difference between fiction and fanfiction, rawr. So much plot. Meh.

So... please enjoy. XD

* * *

><p>When she saw N, the girl blinked and hugged her photo frame even tighter. She was the exact image of White as she had been at age nine, and N recognized the photo as the one they had taken back in the secret hideout.<p>

"What... what's your name?" N asked softly.

The girl looked up at him with her huge, dreamy eyes. "Name...?" Her voice was the same, too, but it was flat and empty, just like her eyes.

"Your name. What do people call you?"

The little girl looked down at her feet. "I don't have a name... He doesn't talk much."

N frowned. "...'he'?"

"You don't know him. No one knows him. He sleeps alone in a cold, cold place, forgotten by all." The girl whispered. "That's why he needs me. But I left... I was called..."

"Called? By who?" N shook his head. Nothing made sense. "Who are you? Where did you come from?" But this time, the girl said nothing and simply gazed at him somberly.

"Here, dear, let's get you dry first," Fennel grabbed a towel and began drying the little girl's face and hair. "Unfortunately, I don't have any clothes that would fit you, but I can give you some of my old things. They might be a bit big, but at least they'll be dry. Then we can see if you know how to find your parents."

N nodded woodenly and turned to go upstairs again while Fennel fussed over the girl, but another knock on the door made him stop. Hesitantly, he opened the door, finding himself face to face with White's mother.

"Where is she?" Her mom demanded a bit hysterically. "White? I heard she was found unconscious!"

"Upstairs..." N answered, and before he had time to react, she had already dashed upstairs. Slowly, he followed, wondering if White would somehow miraculously wake up if he didn't look at her.

But when he got up, there was still no change in her condition. Her mother was stroking her hair with tears in her eyes, clutching White's hand as if the world would tear them apart. Behind him, he heard Fennel's light footsteps, and he turned as the professor arrived with the young girl.

White's mother looked up drearily, but her eyes widened as she saw the girl, and she stood up slowly in disbelief. "What... what is that _thing_?"

"She's not a thing," Fennel replied wearily. "She knocked on the door just a few minutes ago, soaking wet and clutching that photograph.

White's mom shook her head and snatched the photo away angrily, despite the little girl's cry of protest. She glared at N and began speaking wiith a shaky voice. "This... this is the picture my daughter took with you in it! Why does this... _thing_ have it? It's all your fault, isn't it? It's your fault that White is in a coma, somehow. I heard you tried to take over the region earlier... You're plain evil! It's all your fault! If you hadn't come to our town at that time... That time, when she went missing at Icirrus... After White came back with you, she was never the same!"

At this point, she was sobbing and screaming hysterically, and Fennel tried to calm her, but she only sunk to her knees and kept crying.

"It's not his fault, honey. Don't worry, we'll have White fixed up sooner than you'll believe. She's a strong girl, stronger than even us adults." Fennel soothed, and White's mom's sobbing subsided just a bit. Quietly, the professor led the woman to another room to rest while N stood frozen.

Silently, the little girl walked up to him and took his hand. He looked down in surprise. "Your hand is freezing cold! Are you alright?" The girl said nothing, and he sighed. "I don't know what you are, but if you're connected to White somehow... Please... tell me she'll be alright..."

"Why?" The girl asked quietly, and N blinked.

"Why...? Why what?"

"Why do you want her to be alright?"

"I... I don't know... Because we're best friends, I guess. Best friends for as long as eternity, even if she doesn't remember." N sighed.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but the little girl's hand became just a bit warmer.

"She will remember," the little girl said quietly. It wasn't a prediction. It was a promise.

* * *

><p><em>"White! It is you! I'm so glad you're alright!" The young boy ran up to the small figure hidden in the half-dark.<em>

_The girl turned her head to face him, and her face was the same, but her eyes were somehow blank. "N... Are you here to stay with me?"_

_"White, we have to go back now! It's the middle if the night, and I bet everyone's worried. Come on!" N tried to take her hand, but a snarl from the depths of the darkness made him withdraw his hand._

She is _mine_! Do not think of taking her from me, or you will not see the next sunrise!"

_Suddenly filled with a primitive, irrational fear that pierced the very core of his being, he scrambled back a few steps. His nerve finally returned, though, and he stepped forward. "She's not yours! She's my best friend! Give her back!"_

_A glowing eye appeared in the darkness, and it was at least as big as his head. _Nonetheless, she is the one of purest light who I have been searching for... I need her for my true awakening, so that not even Fire and Thunder will be able to stop me!

_"You can't keep her here!" N cried. "Let her go!"_

_The monster roared. _Who do you think you are, that you wish to command _me_? I have waited long and patiently for this time! The hero of this era will be mine!

_"I won't let you keep her in this cave!" N grabbed White's arm and attempted to drag her out of the cave. Behind him, an ear-splitting howl tore at him, but he kept running, and eventually White snapped out of her daze and also began to run._

_True to his word, the Hydreigon was waiting at the entrance, and N quickly helped White get up before mounting himself._

Incredible. You are still alive. _the Hydreigon remarked_.

_"Yeah, I did it," N panted, rather out of breath. "I got White back."_

Do not celebrate too soon, young tamer of dragons. The Great One does not let things go so easily. There is a reason you were not mauled to death or blasted with ice. I would suggest that you beware. And besides, if he really wants her back, it would not be difficult to command someone to do so. Even I would have to obey his command if he so ordered.

_"I'll keep her safe," the boy promised determinedly. "Definitely."_

_The dragon gave a snort and shrugged a wing. _Do not underestimate the Great One. His heart is made of ice.

_"That's not it..." White murmured sleepily from behind them. "He's sad, I think. He wants friends."_

_The Hydreigon snorted again. _Do not be ridiculous. He is unable to feel. Much as the children of Fire and Thunder are, he is unable to feel or reach his full power without a partner.

_"He just wants a friend..." White sighed and fell asleep, clinging to N's back as they flew over Unova._

_The Hydreigon let them down on a snowy hill near the lodge they were staying at, and N shook the sleeping White gently until she woke up and yawned. They walked quickly to the lodge, where White's mom was standing and pacing, holding a phone. She spotted them and her eyes filled with tears. She began running towards them as she talked into the phone. "Yes, I see them, they're right here, they're back, they're back!" When she reached them, she threw her arms around White, half laughing, half crying._

_"Mommy, mommy, we saw a really big Pokemon!"_

_"Yes, dear, just don't ever do that again!"_

_"I think he was lonely."_

_"That's nice, honey." She grabbed White's small, cold hands and led her inside, gesturing at N to follow._

_As soon as they got inside, White fell asleep again, and her mother picked her up and carried her to her bed, quietly closing the door._

_"You should get some sleep, too," she told N, and he nodded and walked to his room._

_The next morning, he woke early and went downstairs to find White. Her mother was already there, though, and she was fussing with soups and towels. White had a thermometer in her mouth, but she waved when she saw N._

_"Oh, it's you!" White's mom turned and saw him standing at the doorway. "Make sure she drinks all the soup, okay? She's got a fever and she needs her fluids. I've got to go prepare some things."_

_N nodded, and White stuck her tongue out at her mom. "No fair! That's cheating!"_

_"Well, if you don't want your friend to see you behaving like a two-year-old, you should suck it up and just drink your soup like a good girl." Her mother patted her head and went out._

_As soon as her mom left the room, though, White sank into her pillow tiredly, and her breathing quickened. She closed her eyes and sighed._

_"Are you alright?" N asked worriedly._

_"Yeah... Just tired... I don't want Mom to worry, though," White told him. "I'll be find after a bit of rest._

_"Drink your soup first," N offered, and she shrugged and obeyed._

_He sat there, listening to her shallow breathing and the thumps and crashes of her mother working downstairs._

_As the hours ticked by, White only seemed to get more tired, and soon she could barely talk above a whisper. She couldn't sit up without collapsing in exhaustion, and she didn't even smile anymore for the energy it took. Her mom came up periodically, and after a while White stopped pretending to be energetic, too._

_"Don't worry, you'll get better for sure," N said, but his words sounded empty and hollow even to him._

_After a few days, their trip ended, and they began preparing to go back to Nuvema, but White's fever still hadn't subsided, and they drove back in a hurry. Sometimes, N caught White's mother glancing at him oddly, but whenever he did, she looked away in a hurry. One night, back at White's house, he was walking by the living room from White's bedroom when he heard her mom talking to Professor Juniper._

_"I know it's terrible of me, but sometimes I just can't help it... I mean, he was the only one there with White when she went missing, and now that she's back, she's got this terrible fever... It's been two weeks and it still isn't gone..."_

_"I can't blame you for worrying, but you really can't blame the child! He's only twelve! What do you expect that he did, voodoo curse her or something? Children get sick when they're out in the cold, simple as that."_

_"I know, I know," White's mother shook her head. "But, he's so strange... I think he talks to Pokemon... We know nothing about his parents... For heaven's sake, look at the color of his hair! He says it's natural!"_

_"Sweetie, you're letting your fear of things you don't know cloud your rational thought." Juniper said firmly, gripping the other woman's shoulders. "It is ridiculous to blame a twelve-year-old for a fever, and being able to talk to Pokemon is a wonderful thing; I'd say that it would only make him a better person. Relax. White's a strong girl, she'll make it. I know she will. Even with the fever, she's showing all signs of vitality and strength. She's just tired."_

_White mother sighed and shook her head, and Juniper stood up and began walking out. N quickly dived into the shadows until she left, and then retreated to his house silently._

* * *

><p>The rain outside began to pour harder, beating on the fragile windows with the force of a raging dragon. Soon, the rain turned to hail, and Fennel decided to close the drapes. N was still sitting next to White, and the mysterious little girl sat next to him quietly.<p>

"I wonder if it is my fault," N murmured. "If I had been faster that day, if I had fought the Cryogonal... would she have been safe now? It's probably because I was so slow that she became like that after we got back..."

"It's not your fault." The little girl's voice was faint, but it seemed somehow full of truth and feeling. "She's grateful." Simple words, but they touched his heart.

"I hope so..."

Suddenly, N jumped up, his eyes wide. "The dream machine... I had a sudden feeling... Maybe now..." In a sudden rush, he unlocked the panels and shifted the machine until it was in place, then turned it on.

The screen fizzes for a moment before blinking on, although all it showed was an endlessness of black, with a few specks of white like stars in an empty galaxy. When he looked closely, he could see, in the distance, the figure of a girl sitting alone.

"White!" He called, knowing that she wouldn't respond in her dream.

To his surprise, though, she lifted her head and looked in his direction. With some effort, she smiled weakly and waved, and N zoomed the screen in. "White, are you okay? What happened?"

"N! I thought you left?"

"I did, but I heard you were in trouble, so I came back. What happened?"

White smiled again. "That's sweet of you." She paused and sighed, shaking her head. "I don't remember what happened, though. I went to Lacunosa to investigate something, and then I went into the forest... and everything went dark..." She shivered and curled up. "It's cold here, and dark. Something's pushing me away from my body. I feel like I've been split apart or something..."

"Don't worry, we'll definitely figure something out soon." He hesitated for a moment. "Do you remember... what happened seven years ago? When you were nine?"

White paused. "No... I don't remember anything from that year for some reason... I guess I was just too young." She gave him an odd look. "Why do you ask?"

"A really large Pokemon... and a Cryogonal... Does that ring a bell?" N persisted.

"A large..." Her eyes unfocused. "I might remember... It was lonely..." She shook her head. "No, it's gone now. I thought I remembered something, but it's gone. But why do you know that?" She asked curiously.

N only shrugged and sighed. "We'll definitely fix this mess," he promised.

"I believe in you. You're a hero, after all." White's fingers reached for him, and he pressed his fingers against the screen, but they met nothing but cold glass. He sighed.

"Don't go, White..."

"I wish we could just stay like this forever," she whispered. "Sometimes, I feel so lonely..."

"I-" N started, but the screen had already faded. He pressed the button furiously, but the machine remained asleep.

He sighed and sat back, waiting and staring at the curtains, listening to the hail as it tore at the glass windows. The room was dimly lit, and he lost himself in his thoughts. Sometime during his brooding, the mysterious little girl had slipped her hand in his, and he felt a sudden surge of loneliness.

Fennel came in suddenly, and she spotted the dream machine. "Oh! Did it work?"

N blinked and looked up. "Oh. Yeah, it worked... but then it faded..." he said, then described the strange dream, as well as how White had somehow heard him speak.

Fennel pursed her lips. "That's very strange indeed... I might have a theory about that..."

"What? Really?" N perked up.

"Well, it's still very tentative, but there are some similarities between what you described and the phenomenon of the Kanto psychic-type Abra. You see, Abra spends all of its time sleeping, but it is still extremely aware of its surroundings because its consciousness is separate from its 'will.' Do you see?"

"No," N admitted.

"I don't really get it either," Fennel sighed, flicking her pen and scribbling on her clipboard. "I'll have to wait a bit to get any definite data." And with that, she picked up her clipboard and walked away absentmindedly.

* * *

><p><em>"Her fever's broken!" Professor Juniper said excitedly. "I think she'll be back to normal soon."<em>

_"Thank goodness," White's mom sighed in relief. "I was so worried."_

_"See? All of your ridiculous fears were useless," Juniper laughed with a meaningful glance at N._

_White's mother sighed and shrugged as well. "Yeah, I suppose." But she gave N one last anxious look before shrugging._

_On her bed, White yawned hugely and sat up. "I'm tired," she complained._

_Her mother smiled and patted her head. "Of course you would be, you've just been sick for three weeks," she told her. "Just rest a while, dear."_

_"Okay," White said obediently, snuggling into the covers. Her mother got up and walked out, along with Professor Juniper. N stayed behind._

_"How are you feeling?" he asked._

_White shrugged. "I don't know... I feel really lonely... It's cold..."_

_N felt a chill run down his spine. "What do you mean...?" He asked with a sudden dread._

_"I don't know," White repeated and sighed before closing her eyes again._

_He waited until she fell asleep before slipping out into the night and walking slowly back to his own house. The lights were still on, and he slowly opened the door._

_"How was White, master N?" Anthea asked absentmindedly as she scrubbed the dishes._

_"They said her fever's gone," he told her as he walked up the stairs to his room._

_"That's wonderful! Oh, by the way, Concordia changed the curtains in your room... again. She's so fussy."_

_N smiled. "It's okay. She likes pretty things."_

_"Yes... Well, your father seems to have calmed down now. He says he wants to see you," Anthea said slowly._

_N froze, his foot on the fifth step. "How much longer do I have?"_

_"Still a bit," the older woman assured him. "A month or two, probably. Don't worry about it for now."_

_The twelve-year old nodded and began walking again, his steps heavy._

_White lay in her room with her eyes closed, her breathing slow. She half-opened her heavy eyelids and glanced at the window - it was morning already. With some effort, she managed to struggle to her feet and walk out the door. The sun filtered through the trees onto her skin, but she still shivered from a cold that pierced her very bones._

_"White, are you feeling better?" N had spotted her from his window and was waving at her. He disappeared and reappeared at the front door._

_"Yeah." One short response, and she didn't even bother to smile at his hurry. She felt heavy, and a thick fog still covered her mind. She couldn't feel anything except for the cold and a burning, aching loneliness._

_"What do you want to do today?" N asked eagerly, his eyes shining._

_"...nothing," she answered dully._

_"Oh..." His face fell, then lit up again. "You're still tired, I bet? Then let's go on a picnic!"_

_White didn't answer, and N hurried back into his house. Moments later, he pushed the door open again, a large basket on one arm. White tried to help him with the unwieldy basket, but he pushed her away, insisting, "I should carry it! You've been sick!"_

_Despite herself, White felt the corners of her mouth pull upwards, and the thick fog in her head parted just a little. Suddenly, inexplicably, a surge of happiness filled her entire being, and she laughed, following the tall boy as he stumbled along the grass._

* * *

><p>It was the middle of the night, and darkness covered the entire room like a heavy blanket of wool. A rustling sound woke N, and he realized that he had fallen asleep on the chair he was sitting on. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced around to find the rustling, and it took him a while to realize that it was actually coming from White's bed.<p>

"White, you're awake!" He said, jumping up in astonishment and racing over to her. "Are you tired? How are you feeling?"

She didn't respond or even move but merely sat there, staring at the window, simply a black shadow in the sparse moonlight that made it's way through the thick curtains.

After a deafening silence, she turned her head ever so slightly, and her lips parted as if to speak, but she said nothing. Then she lowered her head and sighed before closing her eyes.

In that moment, N felt a chill run down his spine, and the air seemed to tingle with an icy vibrance. A feeling of foreboding clung to his stomach just as Fennel burst in, her hair still messy and her glasses askew.

"I-It's awoken! Kyurem has awoken!"

* * *

><p>Rawr, White's mommy got mad. Idk what possessed me to write her like that, but let's just add to N's emotional trauma... whee...<p>

Hm. I reached this part earlier than I thought I would. I had thought it would take me at least 3 chapters until here, but whatever. XD

So... please review. XD Hope you enjoyed.


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